Things That Go Bump in the Night
by were-fan
Summary: It's time for Shereen's Annual Halloween Costume party. Rose is determined to go - and soon just as determined to leave. AU 9/Rose with a touch of Jack & a smidgeon of Shereen. M for chapts 4 & 5.
1. Chapter 1

**One need not be a chamber to be haunted;**

**One need not be a house;**

**The brain has corridors surpassing**

**Material place. – Emily Dickinson**

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The Doctor knew who Rose was speaking with before she ever used Shereen's name. Whenever Rose spoke to her friend, her London accent became more prominent and her slang became nearly impenetrable.

"Oi! Shereen, I don't believe it! No! You're lyin'! He did_ not_!" Rose spun around and walked back across the room, the phone firmly affixed to her ear. "With _who_? _Where_?" She laughed at Shereen's reply. "Bad enough the smarmy git was shaggin' the boss's wife, but _in the bleedin' supply room_?" Rose rolled her eyes, even as she giggled once more. "Guess security got a bit more than an eyeful, yeah?"

The Doctor smiled as he watched her pace back across the control room. She always did that when she spoke on the phone. It took her exactly 42 seconds to cross from one side to the other and she'd done it 112 times on this phone call, alone. Not that he counted, at least, not consciously. Some part of his brain just noticed that sort of thing.

_Like the way her denim miniskirt molded to her body…or that glimpse of her stomach that her top exposed whenever she turned just so._

He frowned at those unruly thoughts – he certainly didn't need to be noticing _those_ sorts of things – and turned back to the temporal condenser that didn't really need any more calibrating. He looked over to Jack, who was lounging in one of the pilot seats with his feet propped up on the edge of the console, reading a book.

Didn't they have a library for that sort of thing?

"Really? No, no – I will definitely be there. I mean, Shereen's Annual Halloween Costume Bash? That's _the_ party of the year, yeah?"

Rose laughed. It was a laugh that vibrated through him like an electrical charge – throaty and a bit naughty. A glance at Jack verified that he'd had the same reaction. Of course, Jack would react to the wind blowing. And really, there was no reason why he needed to be draped across the equipment in here, in _his_ control room, staring at _his_… The Doctor derailed that train of thought before it went any further.

"No, no. I definitely don't want you bringing out _those_ pictures, you evil cow! I promise I'll be there! Love you, too."

Rose slipped her phone into the pocket of her skirt and turned around.

"I guess you heard that, yeah?"

Jack leaned back farther on the pilot chair so that he could look up at Rose directly.

"_Those_ pictures?" He asked, smiling broadly.

Rose grinned and swatted at him. "Never you mind, you. _Those_ pictures will never see the light of day."

Jack laughed. "Good thing I love costume parties, then. Especially Halloween costume parties! It's absolutely one of my favorite 21st-century holidays!"

Rose grinned, "Mine, too."

The Doctor grimaced but Rose spoke before he had a chance to utter a word.

"No." She said.

Rose walked over and tapped him on the chest with her finger.

"Before you suggest going to the Fire Moon of Quarillion Five or the Singing Glass Cliffs on Triffaxal or any other spectacular place that you've suddenly decided we have to see right now, no. Shereen is my best mate, I love her, and I am going to her party."

Rose crossed over to the door and, in a tone that brooked no argument, said. "I get that the great Time Lord might think it's silly to put on a costume and go to a party and have a pint and a laugh with a bunch of my mates. So, if you don't want to go, that's fine, but it won't kill you if we stop by home for a couple of days. Besides, I'm just about out of milk again and I want some decent chips."

With that, Rose left the control room.

Under his breath, he muttered, "Fantastic."

Jack set his book aside and took his feet down from the console.

"So," he said. "London it is, then?"

The Doctor sighed. "London it is."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story. – Mason Cooley**

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Rose entered the control room to find the Doctor in his usual spot, flat on his back under the console, adjusting wiring that probably didn't need any adjusting. He raised his head as she entered the room and then slammed it sharply against the undercarriage once he caught a glimpse of what she was wearing. Rose hurried over to where he lay on the floor, his hand to his forehead.

"Doctor! Are you all right?"

She brushed her fingers along the spot where he'd hit his head, causing him to wince slightly. She quickly pulled her hand away with a soft, "Sorry."

He grinned. "I'm fine, Rose. Not the first time the Tardis has tried to knock some sense into me and I'm sure it won't be the last."

Rose backed away to give him room to pull himself out from under the console. It was something she'd seen him do too many times to count. It was a maneuver that, more often than not, pushed his jumper up a little, baring a thin strip of skin above his jeans. Sometimes she had dreams of walking over to him while he was doing that, straddling his legs to pin him in place and then, bending down and licking him. Right. There. Rose backed up another step before she did something stupid like give into the urge to do just that.

The Doctor leaned back against the console and looked up at her, still grinning.

"A more important question would be – What _are_ you wearing, Rose?"

Rose straightened and tugged at the side of the slightly-too-small top self-consciously.

"My costume," she replied. "Shereen takes belly dancing lessons every Tuesday at the Community Center and she let me borrow one of her dance outfits." She laughed a little. "Guess it's a good thing that pole-dancing class was full when she went to sign up, yeah?"

The Doctor looked her up and down again. "Yeah", he said, faintly. "Good thing."

Rose looked into his eyes, trying to gauge what he was thinking. He was still smiling but there was something in the way he was looking at her. No doubt, he disapproved. She tugged the skirt up to her waist, but it slid back down to her hips the second she let it go, leaving the top of her hip bones exposed once again. The bells on her belt jingled.

She cleared her throat. "'Course, it's not a perfect fit." She tugged at the skirt once more. "However, since _someone_ managed to land us within hours of Shereen's party, it was either this or throw a sheet over my head and call myself a ghost. Besides, I _do_ love the bells!" She shimmied her hips a bit to make them chime and ring. The sound made her grin.

Stepping back, throwing her arms wide and caution to the wind, she spun in a circle and asked, "Well? What do you think?"

The skirt was a lovely turquoise blue, embroidered with silver thread. It was also all but see-through. Thankfully, Shereen had included a pair of boy-short style dance pants in the same color to wear underneath. Yes, the skirt did rest a little low on her hips, but it didn't appear to be in danger of actually falling off. _So stop pulling on it like an anxious schoolgirl_, she rebuked herself. The top was also blue and heavily-embroidered. It looked a bit like the top of a two-piece bathing suit, except for the rows of beaded swag hanging from it. Sure, it was a bit snug, but it wasn't too bad of a fit. And, of course, there was the belt with its tiny bells that jingled and rang with her every move. With the final touches and accessories, like the matching shoes and the silver bangles on her arms, she thought she looked a bit alright. As for the Doctor – well, he was awfully quiet, wasn't he? The bangles on her arms clinked in counterpoint to the bells that chimed as she shifted, impatiently, awaiting his assessment.

The Doctor's gaze moved over her like a physical touch, from her top, down her bare stomach, to the skirt riding low on her hips. She could feel a blush start as parts of her tightened and tingled under his regard.

She shifted a little uncomfortably and repeated, "Well?"

The Doctor stood up and moved a step or two away before leaning back against the console once more.

"Did you look in the wardrobe?" He asked. "Try one of the Victorian outfits, maybe?"

She didn't know what kind of response she'd been expecting, but _that_ definitely wasn't it.

"What?" she asked.

"I just think that you're a bit underdressed for late October in London, England, Rose. You'll be frozen solid within minutes of leaving the Tardis." He said, reasonably.

As she dropped her arms, she told herself that she had no reason to feel hurt. Had she really thought that putting on this silly outfit would change anything? She could hear the disappointment in her voice, however, even as she cursed herself for it.

"Really? That's it? I'm "a bit underdressed for late October in London"? That's all you've got?"

He opened his mouth to respond – probably to say something to smooth it over, but really, what more needed to be said? Before he got another word, out, however, Jack entered the room.

"Don't listen to that fuddy-duddy, Rose." Jack admonished.

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it before spinning her around.

"You look ravishing. I can only promise to do my best to keep some sheikh from carrying you off to his Kasbah."

Rose shook her head and laughed out loud.

"I don't know, Jack. Looking at your costume, it might be you that's getting carried off to some sheikh's Kasbah."

The Captain was wearing a white silk shirt with flowing sleeves and lace at the cuffs. The front of the shirt was held together by lacing that Jack had left half-undone and it molded his chest and shoulders as if it were tailored for him. This was tucked into a pair of black, leather pants that looked as if they'd been painted on to him. The pants, in turn, were tucked into a pair of tall black leather boots that cuffed at the knees. There was a foil in the scabbard on the thick leather belt that he had slung low on his hips.

Jack winked and flashed a wicked smile, "One can only hope."

Scowling, the Doctor asked, "And what are you supposed to be dressed as, then?"

"A pirate, of course," Jack replied.

"A pirate? I've seen pirates on any number of planets, including this one, and I've never seen any pirate dressed like you," the Doctor said. "You look more like one of the men on the covers of those books that Rose likes to read."

"Really?" Jack preened. "You think I look good enough to be on the cover of a romance novel?"

Rose looked him over. Yes, he _did_ look that good. She suddenly thought of the book that she'd just finished reading and snapped her fingers.

"You know, I was wondering who you reminded me of in that outfit," Rose said. "You totally look like the guy on the cover of "Pleasuring a Pirate". Well, if he was wearing a shirt."

Jack grinned. "He _was_ hot, wasn't he?"

"Definitely!" Rose agreed.

The Doctor interrupted, "And you just happened to have that in your closet?"

Jack chuckled. "Actually, I found all of this in the Tardis' wardrobe. Tell us, Doctor. When and where did you wear the leather pants? Or the boots? And are there any pictures?"

Rose tried to imagine _any_ situation in which the Doctor would be dressed as Jack was now and it boggled the mind. She giggled.

The Doctor was smiling but it looked more like he was baring his teeth. Jack laughed and smoothly changed the subject.

Turning back to Rose, he asked, "What was this about you being underdressed?"

"The Doctor thinks that it might be too cold for me to go out dressed like this and he's right," she replied.

Of course he was right. It _was_ cold out and Shereen's outfit didn't exactly fit her perfectly and maybe she just looked stupid. But then she saw that smug look begin to come over his face – his "of course I'm right" look – and abruptly changed her mind again about changing her costume.

"But it's only a couple of blocks away." She continued.

She almost laughed at the surprise on his face.

"You know," Jack said, smiling. "There are a few cloaks in the wardrobe. One of them might be perfect for what you're wearing. You'd be a little warmer, at least."

"Brilliant!" She said, before rushing from the room.

It only took a few minutes to wade through the clothing in the wardrobe and find a long, woolen, black cloak. It covered her from head to toe and brushed the floor when she walked. Hopefully, it would keep the damp, chill night air out for the ten minutes or so that it took to walk to Shereen's. It would certainly look better with her outfit and cover more of her than her ski jacket would. She looked in the mirror one last time to gauge the effect. _Whatever the Doctor thinks, I think I look pretty good!_ She shook her hips again. _And I _do_ love the bells!_

The bells once again announced her as she entered the room, interrupting what appeared to be a tense moment between the two men. She'd heard Jack say something about the Doctor missing something obvious, despite his big, giant brain but he'd stopped talking the second he'd heard her approaching and she'd missed most of it. It was apparent from both of their expressions, however, that neither of them were very happy about whatever they'd been discussing.

"And what are you two going on about?" She asked.

The Doctor turned to her with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"We were just discussing how beautiful you look. Oh, and my big, giant brain."

Rose briefly considered pushing the matter but she knew that the Doctor wouldn't tell her anything he didn't want her to know so she made the choice to just let it drop. For now.

"Yeah, yeah. Big, giant brain. Heard it all before," she said, waving her hand dismissively. She tilted her head slightly and looked up at him through her bangs. "So, "beautiful"? For a human, yeah?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"Just beautiful. No qualifiers," he said, the sincerity clear in his voice.

The compliment sent a flood of warmth through her, all the way to her toes, and she couldn't have stopped the smile that lit her face if she'd tried.

"Thank you."

Jack cleared his throat and held out his arm.

"Shall we?"

Rose laughed at the courtly gesture and curtseyed awkwardly before sliding her arm through his. "Thank you, kind sir."

Before they walked through the door, she stopped and looked back. She tried not to sound too hopeful when she said, "If you get tired of mucking about with the wiring or whatever you'd planned to do, I left the address for the party on the counter in the kitchen, yeah?"

"Go have fun, Rose," he replied. "I'll be fine."

Of course, he would. And she would, too. She'd have a pint or two and a laugh and a flirt with a cute boy or two and they'd both be just fine.

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Rose and Jack walked, still arm in arm, down the street, dodging costumed children, exasperated parents, and other assorted Halloween revelers.

"So, Jack." Rose nudged his arm with her shoulder. "Are you going to tell me what you and the Doctor were talking about just before we left?"

Jack glanced over at her.

"The Doctor told you what we were talking about: You're beautiful and he has a big, giant brain."

Rose let go of his arm.

"So you two really think you can fob me off with some lame "You're beautiful" comment and I won't notice that he was angry and you were fairly annoyed? If it's none of my business, fine, but don't treat me like I'm stupid."

Jack grinned. "In all fairness, Rose, it was the Doctor who "fobbed you off". I just repeated what he said."

Rose stopped walking and turned to face him, blocking his way.

"Jack, you're bloody well starting to brass me off, yeah?"

Jack stared at her silently for a moment. Then, while looking into her eyes, he reached out and pushed a lock of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. His fingers glided along her jaw.

"Well, Rose," Jack said in a soft, almost purr of a voice. "The Doctor was angry because I told him that you were particularly sexy tonight. Particularly sexy and especially tempting."

Rose swallowed hard and swayed towards him slightly. _Wow! Pure, unadulterated Captain Jack Harkness is heady stuff_, she thought to herself. Breaking eye contact, she looked away and took a small step backwards to counteract the almost-magnetic pull he exuded. Before she moved more than that one, small step, however, Jack took one of her hands into his. Then he reached into her cloak with his other hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Jack," Rose began, somewhat nervously. "What are you…"

Jack stopped her words with a barely-there brush of his lips against hers. Suddenly, he grinned and spun her out and then reeled her back as if they were on a ballroom floor. He pulled her close again and led her through some uncomplicated dance steps that ended with her bent over his left arm. There were a couple of whistles and some clapping from the small crowd of people who'd stopped to watch the impromptu show.

Jack looked down at her, still bent back over his arm. "You know, if I thought I had any _real_ chance here, Rose Tyler, I'd do whatever I had to do to have you. Charm you. Seduce you. Tell a tall tale or two." That purr-soft voice of his sent a shiver down her back. "No matter how _displeased_ the Doctor would be. And have no doubt, Rose, he'd be _very_ displeased."

He pulled her upright and set her firmly on her feet before turning to their audience. With his arm still around her waist, he gave a slight bow to the milling crowd. With a wave and a theatrical "Thank you, thank you" from Jack, the people around them continued on their way, smiling. Still somewhat shocked, Rose used those few moments to pull away and put a few feet of distance between them while she gathered her scattered thoughts. Blimey! She didn't know which of his astonishing statements she wanted to deal with first!

She went with the most preposterous one.

"Why would the Doctor be "displeased", as you put it?"

Jack sighed. "Think about it, Rose. Why would the Doctor be upset if I were to pursue you? For that matter, why is he curt, snide, even down-right rude to _any_ man who shows the slightest bit of interest in you?"

"Are you trying to imply that he's jealous, Jack?" Rose rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous! After all, the Doctor has made it perfectly clear that he doesn't think of me that way. That he doesn't think of _any_ "stupid ape" that way."

She hoped she didn't sound as miserable as that made her feel.

Jack looked almost angry but his voice was kind when he held out his hand and said, "It's freezing out here and if all that jingling is any indication, you're shaking with cold. What say we table this discussion and get you to the party before you turn completely blue?"

It appeared that the smiling, charming, didn't-make-her-nervous-at-all Jack was back. Rose looked at his hand, warily.

"Come on, Rose. Let's just forget everything I did or said over the past few minutes and go to the party. Must be a full moon or something."

They both looked up. The moon was a thin sliver of white, high above them.

He grinned. "Well, it's a full moon somewhere. Friends?"

Rose looked at him for a moment, took a deep breath, and then, smacked playfully at his arm. "Yeah. It's too cold to be out here swanning about, Jack, so you behave yourself!" She took his hand. "I'm ready for a pint or three. What about you?"

"Ready is my middle name."

She snickered. "Yeah, I heard that about you."

"Hey!" He said, laughing, as they continued down the street.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Of calling shapes, and beck'ning shadows dire,**

**And airy tongues that syllable men's names. – John Milton**

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It was likely a very nice flat when it wasn't packed, wall to wall, with people. As it was, with every available surface covered in overflowing ashtrays, empty plates, beer-filled plastic cups, and pizza boxes, with too many people, laughing and talking too loudly and standing much too close, with too much smoke competing with the scent of too much perfume and cologne and sweaty bodies – with simply all of it, the Doctor had to count Shereen's flat as one of his least favorite places in all of the known universes. Why exactly _had_ he decided to come here?

The noise level in the room reduced the music coming from the speakers to nothing more than a throbbing bass. That didn't appear to matter to the rest of the party guests, however, because a good half of the too many people in the flat were bobbing up and down and/or swaying in time with the beat in a cleared out section of the room. And there, there was exactly why he'd come here after he'd reluctantly admitted to himself that the Tardis was too quiet with them gone. Rose, who was sweaty and happy and dancing to the beat in her belly dancer costume and grinning from ear to ear. Rose, who was shaking her hips to make the bells on her costume ring and laughing. Rose, who was… Who _was_ that pretty boy she was dancing with, anyway? And was there another boy dancing behind her? No, it was _two_ other boys. Rose was laughing and dancing and jingling with _three _pretty boys. The Doctor scowled and looked around for Jack, who he'd hoped would look out for her, despite being, well, Jack. He soon found him in the far corner, flirting heavily and to great effect, with a beautiful young couple, who were dressed as an angel and a devil. Of course, he was!

After one too many shoves and nudges from the crowd around him, the Doctor looked around with the idea of finding a bit of out-of-the-way wall or an empty corner. Unfortunately, every half-drunken, amorous couple in the place seemed to have had the same idea. Instead, the Doctor grabbed a plastic cup full of cheap beer from the makeshift bar by the kitchen and edged over towards the back door where he could at least get some fresh air.

"Shot?"

The Doctor turned towards the woman yelling at him over the din. She was about Rose's age and quite lovely with her large, hazel eyes and skin the color of milk chocolate. She was dressed as a police officer, if police officers inexplicably decided to trade in their trousers and sensible shoes for tiny skirts and extremely high heels. She had a very sultry smile and – what was the question?

Her smile widened.

"Shot?" She asked, indicating the tray in her hand.

It was covered with tiny glasses containing different liquids, some clear, some brown, some… gelled? She saw his confused look.

"That's a Jello shot! Try it!"

The Doctor found it shoved into his hand despite shaking his head "no", so he shrugged and swallowed it. And choked. It was cloyingly sweet and burning bitter at the same time with the consistency of raw oyster.

She grinned. "That's tequila and lime Jello. It's good, yeah?"

The Doctor coughed once more. "It's good, no! That's awful!"

She laughed. "I know, right? I think I got the ratio of tequila to Jello wrong, but what can you do?"

The Doctor grinned. "Push them off on unsuspecting guests?"

She laughed again. "Exactly! I'm Shereen, by the way. This is my party."

"Nice to meet you, Shereen, I'm the..."

Shereen grabbed his arm with her free hand and leaned in, pressing herself against his side. "Oh, I know who _you_ are. Let's see, older? Check. Leather coat and boots? Check. Bit of a thunder cloud, standing over here by yourself? Check. Given what I've heard from Jackie, from Mickey, and from Rose, who else could you be but the Doctor?" Shereen stood back a little and looked him up and down. "'Course, no one told me that you're dead sexy."

"I'm surprised Mickey didn't mention it."

Shereen snorted. "And funny, too! No one mentioned you're funny."

"Now I _am_ hurt."

"Doctor! You came!"

Rose gave him a sideways hug and took his lukewarm beer from his hand. She took several deep drinks before handing it back. Then, grinning with her tongue between her teeth, she lifted her hair off the back of her neck with one hand as she fanned herself with the other. The gesture caused certain parts of her anatomy that he absolutely refused to think about, let alone look at, to sway enticingly beneath her top. Two of her admirers had wandered off but the third one was standing behind her. He seemed to have no problem with watching every part of her body. Rose turned her head to see who the Doctor was staring at over her shoulder.

"Oh. Doctor, this is Lonny. Lonny, the Doctor."

The boy was dark-haired, handsome, fit, and wearing a toga fashioned out of flowered bed sheet. Where _did _she find this endless parade of idiots? Lonny stepped up and put his arm around Rose's waist as if he had the right. Her bare waist. Then he held his hand out to the Doctor to shake.

"Doctor, huh? Shouldn't you have a white coat or those things you stick in your ears? You know, to listen to someone's heart?"

The Doctor gripped the boy's hand for a moment and smiled, slightly.

"No," he replied.

Lonnie flexed his hand, trying to get the feeling back into his fingers.

"What?" He asked, confused.

The Doctor bared his teeth again.

"Exactly."

Shereen turned to Rose and held out her tray. "Jello Shot?"

"Uh uh." Rose grimaced. "I remember the last time you made those."

Shereen shoved the tray in her direction. "Then hold the tray while the Doctor and I go and dance."

Rose shook her head. "The Doctor doesn't dance."

Dancing with Shereen was definitely preferable to standing here, watching the latest pretty boy drape himself over Rose. The Doctor took the tray from Shereen and handed it to Rose along with his beer.

"I dance sometimes, Rose. You know that."

With that, Shereen led the way out to a tiny space between the other dancers, her hips moving in a way that reminded him why she had a belly dancing outfit to loan Rose. Then she turned, put her arms around his neck, and began swaying in time to the beat. He had to admit that she did the "press against him and sway" part particularly well and looked spectacular doing it. That didn't stop him from looking back to where he'd left Rose standing, looking stunned. He watched her push Lonnie's arm away and hand him the tray. He watched her finish his beer and toss the cup in the direction of a waste bin. He watched her move through the crowd towards the stairs. He watched her shove past the people sitting on the stairs as she went up them. He watched her until he couldn't see her anymore.

"So_ that's_ how it is, yeah?"

He looked down at Shereen. "That's how what is?"

Shereen took her arms from around his neck and moved back as far as the dancing crowd around them would allow.

"I'm a bit cheesed off now, yeah? You can't take your eyes off her and she doesn't look happy at all about you dancing with me. A bloke shouldn't use a girl's best mate to make her jealous. Not really a nice thing to do."

"I'm not really a nice man, Shereen."

She smiled a considerably-less-sultry smile. "Yeah, I did hear _that_ about you."

"Still, I wasn't trying to use you to make her jealous."

"Maybe you were, maybe you weren't, Doctor, but now that I know Rose has a torch for you, this dance is done. Besides, I don't run after men who want someone else. It's murder on the ego." Shereen moved off through the crowd. She'd only just shoved past a couple of people when she stopped and looked back at him.

"Doctor." She said, motioning towards the front of the flat with a tilt of her head.

He looked in the direction that she indicated and saw Rose, wearing the black cloak, just as she was slipping out through the front door.

"Fantastic", he sighed.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Shadows of a thousand years  
>Rise again unseen,<br>Voices whisper in the trees  
>'Tonight is Halloween!'<strong>  
><strong>- Dexter Kozen<strong>

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The Tardis was in sight when the two teenagers stepped into her path. Everything about them, from the tattoos and piercings to the torn jeans and expensive trainers, gleefully advertised poor choices and bad attitudes. One of them looked vaguely familiar and she wondered if he was some mate's little brother or some brat from the playground that she half-remembered, all grown up. Whoever they were, however, they _really_ needed to get out of her way.

The one on the right held out an arm. "Hey, hey, girl. Where you goin' in such a hurry?"

His mate laughed before adding, "Yeah. Stop and have a drink with us." He held out a half-empty bottle of cheap gin and shook it, making the liquid slosh back and forth.

Rose stopped so as not to run right into them and glared impatiently at them both. She was _so_ not in the mood for this shit.

"Yeah – no thanks."

She started to step around them when the one on the left reached out and pulled her cloak to one side. "Hoo, look at that! Whatcha wearin' there, girl?"

Rose smacked his hand away and snarled, "Touch me again and you'll pull back a nub!"

Both of the boys found this absolutely hilarious, if their laughter was any indication, but the teen pulled his hand away.

"Aw, come on. Why you so mad?" The boy with the bottle asked. "You know what you need? You really need to have a drink, chill out, relax. That's what you need."

All she wanted to do was to go to the Tardis, take off this stupid outfit, maybe take a hot bubble bath, and put this night behind her. Instead, on top of everything else, she was dealing with these two morons!

Rose sighed angrily. "What I really need to "chill out and relax" is for you both to shove off, yeah?"

She stared hard at the one who was standing in front of her until he backed up out of her way, grinning. When she started to walk past them, however, they closed back in, one on either side of her. Before she had a chance to do or say anything about it, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"You heard her. Shove off!"

The teens turned with a sneer in the Doctor's direction. She didn't need to turn – watching their sneers quickly turn to panic as they both paled, she knew that they'd caught a glimpse of The Oncoming Storm. Well, The Oncoming Storm could kiss her arse! She pushed past the cowed youths and continued towards the Tardis.

"Rose!"

Ignoring him, she unlocked the door and went inside. The Doctor caught the door before it slammed shut.

Rose slung the cloak in the direction of one of the chairs and was nearly across the control room when he said, sharply, "Rose!"

He sounded quite put out.

"You know, the one time I thought I didn't have to worry about you wandering off, you wander off from the party that _you_ insisted upon attending!"

The breath-taking outrageousness of that statement stopped her in her tracks. She turned back towards him as he closed and re-locked the door.

"Oi! I did not _wander_ away from the party like some two-year-old who got away from you at the park, so don't speak to me like I am one! I wanted to leave, so I left!"

The Doctor stalked across the control room, stopping directly in front of her. "Yes, you left, by yourself, without telling anyone. Anything could have happened to you. In point of fact, something almost _did_ happen to you!"

"Oh, bollocks! I _was_ handling it! I roamed all over this neighborhood at all hours long before I met you. I think I can manage a ten-minute walk without a keeper!"

Shaking his head, the Doctor half-turned and stepped away.

"Aggravating woman." He said, under his breath.

Now that he wasn't yelling, the crushing hurt that she'd felt earlier tried to creep back in. She pushed it away and said, "I'm home. I'm fine. Just go back to the party."

The Doctor turned back, surprise evident on his face. "Why would I go back to the party?"

Rose looked away. "Well, you and Shereen were having a good time, yeah? Go back. Have another dance." She turned back toward the corridor to her room and muttered, "Do whatever."

Rose flinched with surprise when he grabbed her arm and turned her back towards him.

"Do whatever?" He asked.

Gah! Couldn't he just leave it alone? She'd be fine tomorrow – back in Time Lord and Companion mode with her "We're just friends and that's just fine" mask back in place. Right now, she felt raw and vulnerable and standing here half-dressed wasn't helping.

She pulled her arm from his loose hold.

"Yes! Have a pint. Have a dance. Have whatever. Shereen is a great girl _and_ gorgeous. I'm not surprised you like her. Now, I'm going to bed. G'night."

"Rose, are you jealous?"

He sounded amused. Amused! She stiffened her spine, even as embarrassment colored her cheeks.

"'Course not! Just surprised, is all." She was proud that her voice didn't break at all.

"I thought you said you _weren't_ surprised." He pointed out.

The Tardis was so good at changing corridors and rooms around, and yet, it refused to open the floor and swallow her whole. Figured. Rose turned and walked quickly down the corridor towards her room and if it appeared to be a rather cowardly retreat, so be it. Of _course_ he had to follow her. Once more, he caught the door before it could slam shut. He stepped to one side as one of the shoes that she kicked off flew by.

"Rose," he began. She cut him off before he could continue.

"Look, I get it! I thought you weren't interested in any stupid… in any _humans_ that way. But that's not it, is it? You're just not interested in _me_. So, yeah, maybe I'm jealous! I'll get over it."

The Doctor made a chuffing sound, like a choked off laugh, and her earlier fury returned.

"So that's funny? Well, to hell with you!" She was _so _out of here! She stormed across the room, threw open the closet door, and grabbed her suitcase. As she turned back to throw it on her bed, she found the Doctor, right behind her and apparently just as angry as she. Startled, she dropped the suitcase and backed up, her back hitting the wall.

"Yes, Rose, it is funny. On a couple of levels." He said, softly. She opened her mouth to voice her opinion on his sense of humor but closed it again when he shook his head and said, "Uh uh, _my _turn."

"First, there's Mickey," he held up a single finger. "Adam, your father – no, don't shake your head, he counts – Jack, Mickey again, and what's his name tonight? The pretty idiot in the flowered bed sheet?"

Rose crossed her arms in front of her and licked her suddenly dry lips. "Lonnie."

"Yes, Lonnie." The Doctor held up a sixth finger. "By my count, that's six that you've run after, fawned on, and/or panted over."

"That's not fa…" Rose objected.

The Doctor cut her off. "Fair or not, I count six. However, I'll give you that Mickey should only count as one, and often barely that, and the thing with your father was somewhat understandable, but that still leaves four, yes?"

Rose, a mutinous expression on her face, nodded.

"I agreed to dance with _your_ friend at a party that _you_ asked me to go to – a party where, if I must remind you, you were dancing with _three_ boys when I arrived – and you're so jealous that you leave without telling anyone and almost get mugged or worse. Don't shake your head, Rose. I don't care how self-sufficient you are or how often you roamed the wilds of London before we met, I know what I saw. As I was saying, however, considering how often I've wanted to drop one of your pretty boys into the nearest supernova, yes, Rose, I find your jealousy over a single dance with Shereen – a dance we didn't even finish – funny."

She still didn't think it was so funny, but she realized that she'd overreacted. In fact, she felt a bit mortified that this all had all blown up into such a huge row. Before she could apologize, however, the Doctor continued.

"The idea that you think that I'm not interested in you _that way_, as you put it, and would, in fact, prefer your admittedly lovely friend, Shereen, however, is the funniest part of your statement."

His gaze moved over her, much as it had earlier in the control room when she'd asked his opinion of her costume. If that first time had felt like a physical touch along her skin, it was nothing compared this time. The heat in his eyes licked over her skin, leaving her breathless and more than a bit aroused.

"You asked me earlier what I thought of your costume, Rose, and I didn't exactly give you the complete answer."

He stepped close enough that his jacket brushed against her arm and braced his left arm against the wall, next to her head, effectively caging her between himself and the wall.

"When I saw all that soft, touchable, _bare_ skin, Rose, my very first thought was to wonder if that birthmark just above your left hipbone is as velvety as the Trasillian water lily that it resembles."

He brushed the fingertips of his other hand over the mark in question.

He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "It is."

She swallowed hard and quivered slightly at the feel of his breath against her neck.

"As I told you before you left, I thought you looked beautiful. Of course, the one word at the forefront of my mind from the second I saw you in this particular outfit was "lickable"." His Northern burr caressed her ear as much as his fingers caressed her stomach. "I don't think it's actually a word, but, oh Rose, it should be."

Her nipples hardened and her lower body went liquid as the image of him licking along the path that his fingers blazed formed in her head.

"I also thought that, if the chiming of tiny bells doesn't signal danger on at least one planet in all of the known universes, it should."

She jumped a little when she heard the belt hit the floor with a jingling thud.

"And each time you tugged that skirt upward and it slid back down," his fingertips dipped below the edge of her skirt. "I thought that with one good tug, or even one so-so one, this skirt would hit the floor."

She gasped when he proved the truth of that by bending his knees slightly and pulling on the side of the skirt. It pooled around her bare feet, leaving her leaning against the wall in just the dance pants, her top, and the bangles on her arms. Her knees went weak and she had to put her hands against the wall to keep from sliding to the floor with the skirt. She'd never been so turned on in her life and, as yet, he'd barely touched her.

The Doctor leaned back and, smiling a wicked smile, stared into her eyes. His fingers continued to move over her stomach, brushing against the underside of her breasts. "You see, Rose Tyler, you're quite mistaken when you say that I'm not interested in you _that way_, that I don't think of you _that way_. I think of you in oh so many ways, Rose. I think of how brave and clever and kind you are. I think of how beautiful you look when you smile or when the sunlight hits your hair. I also think of how very tempting your tongue is when you bite it while grinning that grin." His fingers trailed up over the sides of her breasts and then traced along the edge of her top. "I think of you in silk. And in lace. And in leather. I think of you sprawled on satin sheets. And, sometimes – sometimes I even think of you in silken ropes and completely at my mercy."

She shivered at the images that he evoked, certain that if he kept talking, she'd come from his voice and his words alone.

"And this," he flicked one of the loops of beads hanging from her top with his long, clever fingers. "When you came into the room wearing this, I thought for a moment that you'd stepped right out of one of my filthy little fantasies, Rose Tyler."

She moaned and arched her back, her eyes half-closed, as his fingertips brushed over her nipples on the outside of her top.

"Open your eyes, Rose."

She did so, meeting his gaze. It took a moment for the sensual haze to dissipate enough for her to realize that the Doctor had moved back a step, so that he was still close but no longer touching her.

"I think so very many things about you, Rose, but it doesn't mean I should."

Rose watched as his expression became more shuttered, closing her out. She struggled to get her clamoring body under control so that she could reason out what exactly was going on.

"It certainly doesn't mean that it's right."

He wouldn't! Not after everything that he'd just…

"You're so young, Rose. So fresh and shiny and new." He put his hands in his jacket pockets. "I'm just a mad man in a blue box and far too old and too scarred. The shine wore off of me a long time ago. You deserve so much better."

He would!

Rose growled, angrily, "You don't get to decide what I deserve!"

Then she grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulled him forward, and kissed him, hard.

**… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …**


	5. Chapter 5

**Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing,**

**Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.**

_**-**__**Edgar Allan Poe**_  
>… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …<p>

Stepping back from Rose was one of the hardest things the Doctor had ever done. He'd had to put his hands in his pockets just to keep from reaching out for her again. Still, if he made a point of giving his adversaries a chance to save themselves, how could he do any less for Rose? No, he'd had to give her a chance. A chance to pull back. A chance to run.

He'd given her that chance and she'd refused to take it. He had no intention of giving her another one.

The reality of her – her mouth on his, her nearly-naked body pressed along the length of his, the scent of her, the taste of her – left him stunned and he was absolutely still for a moment. Then two. Then his hands were in her hair, cradling her head and tilting her to just the right angle, and finally! Finally, he tasted stroked loved that tantalizing, tempting tongue of hers. As they kissed, they undressed themselves and each other with impatient, greedy hands and he distantly heard the sound of beads falling to the floor. He was going to slow down so that he could savor this, savor her, at any moment now. She wasn't moving any slower than he was, however, and her eager hands and demanding mouth shredded his resolve.

With her arms around his neck and her breasts pressed against his chest, she made a little gasping moan against his mouth when he swept his hands down to her butt and lifted her up against him. Her legs encircled his waist, pressing the hot, wet center of her directly against him. As she rocked herself against him, it was all he could do not to slide into her right then. In moments, she lay on the bed while he knelt over her. She looked up at him, breathing hard, her skin flush, and that tempting tongue of hers licking her lower lip – and even as he told himself once more to _slow down_, he wanted to fall on her, over her, in her. Right. Now.

"Condom," she whispered.

With the desire roiling through him, his mind filled with the maelstrom of sensation that was Rose, naked and needy in front of him, he was a little less than coherent.

"What?"

She waved in the general direction of the drawer in her nightstand.

"Condom."

Yes. Of course. A baby, if unlikely, was always a possibility. Good thing one of them had the presence of mind to think of it. He opened the drawer to find one or two intriguing items that gave him all sorts of interesting ideas for the next time or the time after that. He also found an unopened box of condoms, still in the bag from some shop in Cardiff. Mickey. Of course. _That_ thought certainly chilled some of the heat in his blood.

"You going to brood on who I didn't use them with?" Clever girl, reading him like a book.

He looked over at her, saw a hint of trepidation behind the challenge in her eyes, and told himself not to be any more of an idiot than he had to be.

"I might be a mad man, but I could never be _that_ mad." He grinned at her and pulled one of the condoms out.

"'Course, I don't know if this'll be enough," he said, tossing the rest of the 12-pack down on top of the nightstand, next to the bed.

Taking the packet from him, she got to her knees and opened it. He groaned in appreciation of her talented fingers as she rolled it onto him while simultaneously scraping her teeth lightly across his nipple.

Smiling, she murmured, "Promises, promises."

He pushed her back on the bed and followed her down. He wanted to explore every inch of her with his hands and tongue – to catalogue every moan and sigh and note exactly when she lost control – but the desire driving him wasn't going to let that happen this time. He filed the thought, along with the items in her drawer, in the "next time or the time after that" column. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he pinned her hands against the bed, and thrust into her, hard. His smile was one of pure satisfaction when she moaned and arched beneath him.

"Less of a promise. More of a warning."

"Don't think I won't hold you to that." Her laugh turned into a soft groan.

That was the last of any intelligible conversation for quite some time.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Rose was sitting at the table, sewing beads back onto the top, when Jack came into the kitchen, whistling. He poured a cup of coffee and turned to lean back against the counter.

Rose grinned. "Good party, Jack?"

"_Great_ party, Rose," he replied. "Cynthia was lovely. George was sublime." He winked.

She laughed.

"What about you? Did you have a good time?" He asked, just as the Doctor entered the room.

The Doctor tilted Rose's head back and gave her long kiss. Then he grabbed a biscuit from the jar, told the slack-jawed Jack, "Good morning", and left the room. Jack closed his mouth with an audible click.

Rose grinned. "Best party ever."

~Fin


End file.
